Irene Wakefield

Will you soften?

Soften in to the discomfort of the conversations that matter.

If you've been following Prepair NZ for sometime now, you may have already read it before. This time around was a little different.

That's because Irene shared this powerful story with an audience of over 1000 people at TedX Wellington.

The result?

A standing ovation.

When we share our stories we liberate others.

I have spoken to many people since sharing my story at TEDX.

Many of them have had an experience relating to relationship abuse. Although the majority have identified as female and shared their experiences of being victim to abuse.

There have been others.

Perhaps the most moving of them all was a young male that approached me to share his thanks for my story. A delegate in the audience at TEDX, he spoke of how he was humbled & inspired by what he had heard.

This was a man who realised while listening, that his past behaviours were mentally and emotionally abusive. He left me with a commitment to changing.

Since 2015, when I first started talking to people about my vision for Prepair NZ - there has been a common theme to this work.

Every time I share my story, someone out there is able to see their own, reflected in mine.

This is why I choose to do this work. To be a positive and influential role model for others.

ou can watch my talk below. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you thought.